Proverbs 25:21

If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
– Proverbs 25:21

Verses 21-22 teach a compassionate response and treatment of our enemies. Giving food and water to an enemy is a counterintuitive act of kindness. Though not humanly natural, it does rise from two principles of biblical teaching: 1) the command to show compassion to strangers (Exodus 23:4-5; Leviticus 19:9-18; Deuteronomy 24:14-22; Proverbs 3:27; 10:12; 17:9; 19:11), and, 2) the prohibition against taking personal vengeance (Proverbs 17:13; 20:22; 24:17-18). It may seem a stretch to go from loving neighbor to loving enemies, but Jesus taught the law of loving neighbors extended to even enemies in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:43-48).

Short Book Reviews

I was aware this book was surrounded by controversy, but not informed as to the exact nature of the controversy. I read it on a recommendation from a friend and am glad I did. I appreciated the highlighting of the lordship of Jesus in the G...

This is really two books in one. The second part is Jonathan Edward's work, The End for Which God Created the World. The first part is John Piper's thoughts, experiences, analysis, and explanation of Edwards' work. The Edwards text is dense...

Excellent brief book. This is not exhaustive on the subject (Charnock comes to mind), but is very good. Pink always uses many scripture references and the format makes it useful for devotional reading or as a study. This book serves as an i...